Bitter Tears
by Satiah
Summary: The rebellion continued on, but she had been left behind to rot in some cell, alone and tired of waiting. Zero would never come for her, the betrayer that he was; he had once more stabbed her in the back. AU, post-R2.


Code Geass (c) Sunrise

...

Kallen Kouzuki stonily set her eyes on the granite wall before her, ignoring the stinging pains and aches along her bruised and shackled body. Left in the dark to rot alone for weeks now, her thoughts had turned from morbid to sour until they hardly turned at all. Defiant, but increasingly blank eyes had begun to grow dimmer as hope within them fled, gradually replaced by a hollow understanding that rescue just wasn't an option. It had been three weeks, by her figuring, although it was difficult to tell, and her savior had yet to show himself. Perhaps the rumor was true this time. Perhaps Zero really was dead.

No.

He couldn't be. How many times had she waited, just like this, for him to come for her? For him to save her and then things would be alright, like they were in the good 'ol days when the Black Knights were high on victory, and Britannia lay beaten beneath their feet, slowly breaking apart as the Black Knights fought on for justice and for the weak?

_But those really were the good 'ol days_, she thought bitterly. The days where they could trust the man they called Zero, the man they looked to as their leader, marching them on against the seemingly impossible, creating miracles at every turn. Where was Zero now? Had he abandoned them yet again, in order to pursue his own selfish desires, leaving the rest of them stranded in the midst of ill-informed chaos?

She choked back a sob of betrayal as she thought of the many times he had turned his back on them, dismissing their plights without thought or care. All that mattered to Zero was that Britannia was destroyed. Zero couldn't even be bothered to care about his own people anymore! And when he wasn't busy being the revolutionary leader, when he was instead the Britannian student Lelouch, the only thing that mattered to him was his blind and crippled sister. Once again, the Black Knights were cast aside as sacrificial pawns and thrown to the mercy of their oppressors. Zero would murder them all without thought if it would keep his sister comfortable. What sort of leader was he supposed to be, anyway?

Through the bitter haze of her anger, Kallen heard soft footsteps cease in the hallway before her cell. A rusty jangle of keys preceded the gate's metallic shriek as it relinquished its hold on her cell, reluctantly allowing entrance to the lone man stepping through. Kallen could have cared less. With her stubborn gaze directed solely at the moss-covered granite wall in front of her, she set her jaw and waited for the day's beatings to be over with.

The intruder silently knelt by her side, so close that she could feel his warmth through her own tattered uniform. A gloved hand caressed her cheek softly, but she refused to look at him, biting her tongue against the storm of insults and willful words she dared not say. After his thumb once more passed over her face, brushing away the stray hairs, her head was gently turned until she was staring at her tormentor, full in the face…

Zero.

Her breath caught in her throat. He had come!

No words were spoken, but deft hands quickly released her from the biting manacles that bound her to the floor. Standing shakily, she was supported by Zero, and both were gone in a whisper of black cloth.

Reaching the Black Knight's underground base, Kallen could finally relax. Tears of relief traveled down her dirt-stained face, but her eyes shone with hope, admiration, and love. Love for the man who would always come for her, even if it meant waiting a little while first. Zero had never left her to die, and he never would. What a fool she was for believing he had turned his back on her!

Once hidden behind the safety of a locked door, they finally had a chance to speak. Zero whispered to her gently, words soft and careful as he asked if she was alright. In her relief, Kallen told him yes; he had come for her, so she was fine now. Happiness wore itself brightly on her face as she embraced him, afraid to let him go, afraid that she would lose him again if she backed away first.

But it was he who ended the embrace, gently removing himself with a soft chuckle. "This mask," he mumbled, "is stifling." And as he took it off, shaking out his soft chestnut curls, she felt as if a dagger had torn its icy-hot fire straight through her heart.

And she wept bitter tears for the man who had, once again, betrayed her.


End file.
